Suriname Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Paramaribo, Lelydorp, Nieuw Nickerie, Moengo, and Albina
Summary
Suriname has experienced its hottest July in recorded history, shattering monthly temperature benchmarks across the tropical nation. The record warmth capped off an exceptionally warm 3-month period that ranks as the region's 2nd warmest May to July since record-keeping began in 1940. While typical equatorial heat was exacerbated across northern South America, Suriname experienced conditions well above historical norms, with warmth likely to linger into the upcoming season.
This month in numbers
July 2026 delivered extraordinary warmth across Suriname, recording an average temperature of 26.83°C. That represents a dramatic anomaly of +2.2°C above the 1961-1990 baseline, marking the single warmest July on record in 87 years of data. Looking at the broader season, the May to July 2026 period averaged 26.14°C (+1.4°C anomaly), making it the 2nd warmest such stretch on record, second only to the extreme heat of 2024. Globally, July land temperatures ranked 3rd highest on record with a +1.6°C anomaly, while the global 3-month average ranked 2nd highest.
What changed
The recent surge in heat follows a sustained period of elevated temperatures. Suriname's long-term baseline has already warmed by 0.87°C, with recent years delivering the warmest conditions in history, headlined by the all-time record set in 2024 when the annual mean hit 27.15°C. For the latest month, Suriname placed 2nd among all South American nations for temperature anomaly, registering +2.20°C compared to the continental average of +1.62°C. Across 232 global regions tracked, Suriname ranked 60th highest for its 1-month anomaly. On a 12-month rolling window, Suriname sits at a +1.11°C anomaly, ranking 156th globally.
What’s driving change?
Tropical atmospheric dynamics and long-term climate trends are driving these elevated readings. Because surfaces, South American continental landmasses absorb and retain immense heat. Suriname's equatorial position makes it especially susceptible to the , where high humidity and elevated ambient temperatures push heat indices into dangerous territory. Furthermore, and periodic ENSO phase swings alter precipitation cycles and cloud cover across northern South America, stifling natural evaporative cooling and allowing persistent solar heating to drive ground temperatures higher.
Looking ahead
Extended seasonal forecasts indicate that elevated equatorial temperatures are likely to persist across northern South America over the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Suriname
Köppen Am · TropicalSuriname has a tropical climate (Köppen Am: Tropical monsoon), with only modest temperature variation through the year, but a pronounced wet and dry season. October is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.1°C, while February is the coldest at 25.4°C. Annual precipitation averages around 2294mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Suriname
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Suriname
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Suriname
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Suriname
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Suriname
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Wet / dry seasonsKöppen Am · TropicalSuriname doesn't have a warm/cold cycle - its monthly temperature range is only 3.0°C across the year - but it does have a strong wet/dry cycle (the wettest month gets 10× as much rain as the driest). So we track how the wet season has shifted instead.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Mar (-94 mm, -36%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Suriname
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Suriname changing?
Suriname is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Suriname?
Suriname has a tropical climate (Köppen Am: Tropical monsoon), with only modest temperature variation through the year, but a pronounced wet and dry season. October is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.1°C, while February is the coldest at 25.4°C. Annual precipitation averages around 2294mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Suriname come from?
Climate data for Suriname comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Suriname climate data cover?
The Suriname climate profile covers Paramaribo, Lelydorp, Nieuw Nickerie, Moengo and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Suriname
How often is the Suriname climate update refreshed?
The Suriname climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Suriname climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Suriname climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.